What does a Corporate Caterer do?

A corporate caterer prepares food for corporate events. Corporations and large businesses may have a number of events in which they need food prepared. A corporation may wish to have a banquet for a client or to announce a product launch or for its staff; it may wish to hold a fundraiser to raise awareness of its corporate brand name, or it may wish to do something such as inviting a few clients to a private lunch or dinner. On all of these occasions, some type of food will need to be provided, and often a corporate caterer does the job.

Most corporations will use an outside catering company to act as their corporate caterer. The corporation may establish a regular relationship with a particular caterer's office and use that office for all of its corporate functions. Other corporations will simply hire caterers on an as-needed basis, depending on who is able to provide the type of food sought at the most affordable price. In some cases, a corporation will have a catering staff on site; this is rare for most businesses, except for hotels and banquet halls and other such environments in which parties are often held.

A corporate caterer begins by setting a menu for the particular occasion. It may offer either a sit-down dinner or a buffet. Most caterers have a fixed range of selections at different price ranges from which the corporation can choose. The caterer and corporation determine an appropriate menu and a price-per-person, or price-per-head, that the corporation will pay for the catering services.

The caterer then prepares the food — often at its own kitchens — on the given date of the event and brings the pre-prepared food to the location in which the corporation is hosting the event. Most caterers will also bring their own serving pieces, and many bring their own plates, silverware and table linens. Some, however, will bring only the food and the corporation will have to provide the table service.

At the event, most catering companies provide wait staff as well. This means the corporate caterer will send waiters and waitresses to the event to serve the food. At some corporate events where alcohol is appropriate, the caterer will also send a bartender as a part of the catering service. At the end of the evening, the corporate caterers and wait staff clean up and take anything they have brought with them from the venue.